Rocket fuse



July 24, 1956 H. G. JONES, JR., ETAL 2,755,738

' ROCKET FUSE Filed Oct. 9, 1951 vll/l l//l/l l l l /l/ /l//l l l Il ATTORNEYS B/WMMMM 2,755,738 Ptenfed July 24, 1956 ROCKET FUSE Harry lG. Jones, Jr., Arlington County, Va., and Casper J.

Koeper and Francis P. Gilhooly, Huntsville, Ala., assignors to tllepUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application October 9, 1951, Serial No. 250,556

z claims. (ci. 1oz-7s) I (Granted under Title `35U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) 'The invention described in the specification and claims may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment `of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates in general to actuatingdevices and more particularly has reference to a fuse construction for use with a projectile.

`In fuses of the type used with rockets it is customary to provide a safety bolt which is ejected during flight to release an element of the tiring mechanism lfor movement to armed position. y

In the present invention the bore riding pin accomplishes the same purpose as in the fuses ofthe prior art but the pin isV additionally associated with a safety set back sleeve to hold it in locked position when a fuse clamp or band is in place, aswell as when the band or clamp is removed to insure complete safety during handling.

It is accordingly an object of our invention to produce a simple and eiecitve combination fuse which will allow a projectile to be handled with safety. and yet insure certain arming of the fuse when the projectile is launched.

Another object is to provide a fuse which is unaected by shocks or movement and which is positively locked against inadvertent operation prior to use, and the functioning of which is insured on passing from the launching mechanism.

In order to make our invention more clearly understood we have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the fuse forming the subject matter of this invention showing the relation of the parts of the fuse prior to the launching of the carrying rocket.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on lines 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view taken on lines 3--3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly by numerals to the drawings in which same and similar elements are designated by like symbols of reference throughout and more especially to Figure 1 there is shown the structure forming the subject matter of this invention comprising a rocket casing 1 including the usual explosive charge 2 and a booster charge 3 contained Within cup 4 threadedly tted into annulus 6 which embraces a primer 8 and is threadedly fitted into casing 1 as shown. Annulus 6 has therein a bore 10 of smaller diameter than the diameter of the primer receiving passage, opening into tiring pin cavity 11 and is aligned with and receives the sharp end of tiring pin 14 as will later appear. Slidably fitting into the casing is bore riding pin 12 which has a cap 15 riveted or otherwise secured thereto and a helical spring 18 surrounding and pressing it outwardly of the casing. Bore riding pin 12 has a longitudinal recess cut therein and communicating with the surface thereof by a narrow passage thereby forming iingers 21 and 22 for a purpose to be presently explained. The bore riding pin 12 is cut United StatesA Patent Otlice n away adjacent finger 22 to form an arcuate section 24 which in normal unarmed position extends between tiring. pin 14 and bore 10. The pin 12 is further cut away beyond the arcuate section'24 to forml a at tip 26vand abuts sleeve as shown in Figure 2. Plunger 35 com-- prising the frustum of a right cone is disposed within-1: ring pin cavity 11 and has an integral turned out Harige- 39 in contact with turned out flange 38 of liner sleevef 30. Helical spring 37 seats between sliding safety 'setN back sleeve 36 and ange 38 and resiliently'urges them.: apart. Sliding safety sleeve 36 has a bore 40 there through to receive nose 42 of spring based detent buttoirl 43 and an elongated bore 44 in part aligned with elongated! bore 51 to receive the nose 45 of locking stud 46, whicltr is threadedly engaged in a drilled passage in the casing and which prevents rotation of the sleeves about 'the axis of the casing but does not prevent their longitudinal movement. A vent 48 leads through the casing and through aligned ports in sleeves 36 and 30 to prevent any possible pressure build up in cavity 11. Aligned passages 49 and 50 are provided to receive iingers 21 or 22 depending upon the position of the bore riding pin.

The all ways tiring pin is here used to insure positive operation of the fuse under all conditions of target contact. If the projectile strikes a target on'the ogivalv a y force is applied to plunger inclined to its axis of symmetry. However since the plunger is the frustum of a cone the component of the force in the direction of free motion of the plunger is effective toaccele'rate the same to` cause motion in the direction of the firing pin.: The tiring pin assembly comprises a substantially triangular flat plate 52 having its apex cut away and integral feet 53 at the base thereof. Pin 14 is riveted or otherwise secured to onel side of the plate and the rivet further secures spring A54 thereto. Spring`54 bends back upon itself and is additionally bent at a right angle to pierce the plate 52 as is best shown in Figures 2 and 3. They lower edge of plate feet 53 rest in annular groove 23 and cut away portions of sleeve 30 rest against the upper` edges of the feet whereby plate 52 forms a lever of the: third order with the fulcrum located at the lower edge; of the feet, the force to be applied by sleeve 30 at the: upper edge of the feet and the load 14 arranged to follow' an arcuate path. Spring 54 bears against annulus 65 whereby the tiring pin assembly normally maintains a position inclined to the axis of the fuse.

Operation During storage and shipping a safety band (not shown) is clamped around the body of the fuse and forces bore riding pin 12 inwardly whereby ringer 21 pierces sleeve bore 49 to hold the sleeve 36 in place. When the projectile is to be tired the band is removed and the spring 18 thereupon urges pin 12 outwardly until opposed finger 22 pierces sleeve bore 49 and thereby locks the pin in place while the artilleryman is loading the tube. It can be readily seen that when the projectile is within the tube the pin cap 15 bears thereagainst and holds the iingers 21 and 22 spaced from sleeve 36. When the projectile is tired in the usual well known way the force of set back rams the sleeve 36 rearward against the urging of spring 37 and bore 40 passes under detent 43 whereupon detent spring 47 forces nose 42 into bore 40 and locks the sleeve to clear the path of travel for bore riding pin 12 which is ejected from the fuse when the projectile passes beyond the tube, thereby removing the arcuate portion 24 of pin 12 from its position between pin 14 and primer 8.

When the projectile strikes a target the plunger moves violently forward carrying with it Sleeve 30 against the urging of spring 37. It will be noted that the plunger 0 does not engage the firing pin spring 54 and that its motion is relatively short. When sleeve 30 moves it imparts a turningwcouple to plate 52 which Apivots as a lever about its fulcrum, the base of vfeet 53 and against the resilience of spring 54; `and pin 14 moves through an arc intovbore `to explode the iprimer 3 which in tugn 'ignitesythe booster 3-and ires .chargerl From the iforegoing rtaken tin connection with the ac- `c'orrlpanying udrawings Ait willgbe seen that novel provision h as `been made lfor effecting the' desired improvements rand While .preferred details'havegfbeenshown variations may ofcourse be made within -the scope of the invention -as claimed.

werden: l `1.\ "`I nla Vfuse .having ta body and :suitable jfor Vuse with fin 4stabilized `projecti-1es adapted for launching from a tube,`.a primer txed -in said -body, 1a ltriangular :plate dispgsedgat an angle `to said primer, spring means biasing saidfplate in a I.vtrs't direction -about 2the :base .thereof as a fulcrurm a tiring-pin affixed at one end of said tplate, jtrstv sleeve coaxial Ywith said ,-primer Vand engaging fthe said rplate, a plunger within tand movable with said first sleeve, second sleevejembracing the ,said first sleeve, a .safety member .adapted to-.engage said tube and -having opposed vfingers arranged-in E-facing relation, said tingers a-fdap'ted to enter an opening in said vsecond sleeve, and a Vspring `urging the said-safetytrnemberoutwardly 'of the said b'ody .to Vejectthe samelin-'igh 'wherebyupon engagementof theA said body with -a-target the said plunger travels cforward forcing the -said rst sleeve tofrnove -the saidtp'late in asecond direction about .the base thereofto deliver the said 1tiring tpin into engagement with the said primer. Y A

2. In a fuze yhaving a body, and suitable for use with rockets adaptedforf-launching from a tube, Aan annulus t axially secured therein, an instantaneous tireprimer disposed within an axial bore iin said rannulus said Ibody beingtprovided with an annular ggrooveadjacentone end of *said Jantiulus means for "tiring Vsaid 4,printer comprise ing a substantially triangular plate thaving its apex aarea cut away and defining` a pair of integral feet at its base area, said feet normally riding in said annular groove in said body, a tiring pin, a at spring member connected at one end to said plate by said ring pin, said spring being bent backwards upon `itself and additionally bent at a right angle to pierce said plate and bear at its other end against said annulus, a rst sleeve slidable in said body having `a `cut away .portion .at its `forward end and adapted ltoneceve and bear against the =1`1pp`er edges vof said ffeet `on `said plate, azplunger imova'ble '-vvth -said lirst sleeve upon target impact ,to :rota-,te -fsaid plate about aits feet as a pivot, a second sleeve slidable with respect to said first sleeve, a coil spring urging apart rthe respective ends of said first 'and :second sleeves, =a detent operable to engage said second sleeve and lock the same during set buck, 'a bore triding -p"in 'slidabl'y Lmounted within a transverse bore in said body of said fuze, said bore riding pin Adefining a fat .tip portion, said zt'ip having a longitudinal )groove receiviiigfthe end of .said tiring gpin, said bore riding pin normally separating ysaid ttring pin from said primer when fuze is in unarmedposition,:said ,bore riding )pin further ptdening, along ,its intermediate p0rtion, a longitudinal recess .and axpair of opposed *fingers spaced on either side of said :recess and adapted .to er gage an `opening in said ,seeondrslee've ,intermittently upon reciprocal movementgof said :bore riding ,pin Vand prevent axialanovementsofsaidtseeondsleeve.

References Cited in the tile of 4this patent UNHTEE `srArEs .PATENTS :5233110 iDungan July i17, '-1894 esmas fnynehmi. t sept. :'17, i901 -lgoztggeso artikelen/ski v 10et.129, 19112 1,375,465 =Ragsle l 'Apr. t19,]1921 1,393,585 Sutton Oct. 1`1, `-19`2f`l fl448-,2l36 Day Mar. '-13, l19,23 2128068'77 fIfIale fMay 26, i931 $692,557 Wales a TQCt. .2'6, `1l954 

